Too much caffeine?

Twenty years ago, when you ordered coffee you received a smallish cup (size of a British teacup) of black coffee, with milk or cream on the side. Many people still believe this is how coffee should be served.

Nowadays when you walk into a coffee shop, you first decide what you want to drink. Feel like something classic? How about a latté? What about some simplistic, strong coffee? Americano maybe more your taste? How about something sweet? Mocha? There's an endless array to choose from, often to the confusion of the customer. And what exactly is the difference between an iced mocha and a mocha freeze?

Actually I do know what the difference is: An iced mocha usually contains solid ice cubes, where a mocha freeze gets put through a blender.

Once you've decided what you feel like drinking, you must consider how much of it you'd like. And it's not just small, medium or large. Some idiot thought it would be cool to directly translate the proper Italian titles for the serving sizes, which means you order a short (8 oz), tall (12 oz) or grandé (Italian for big. 16oz). And as if that isn't enough, Starbucks have added venti (Italian for 20, thus 20oz, sometimes 24oz). How can a single person consume that much caffeine, sugar and calories and then want another a few hours later? It's not healthy!

It's a conspiracy, I tell you. Caffeine addiction is the only addiction that's legal, often ignored and in some cases even considered commonplace! Many of the people I've worked beside would frown upon an average working day without at least 4 cups(I mean mugs) of coffee. That's almost 2 litres!

I understand that coffee has its health benefits, but all in good measure! If you have a headache, drinking 4 times the dosage of painkillers doesn't make your head get better 4 times faster. Your average grandé mocha has the same amount of calories as a full meal. Multiply that by 4 and you're sitting with a heart condition.

Think about that next time you go make yourself a cuppa. I can guarantee that if you drink coffee less, you'll enjoy it a lot more.

While I'm on the topic of coffee and Starbucks: I've never met someone who can testify to thinking "Hey he's drinking Starbucks coffee from one of those stylish recycled cups. He must be a pretty stand-up guy." It doesn't happen. Drinking a specific type of coffee rarely makes you cooler than the next guy. And if you drink coffee that can be considered stylish, you wouldn't go flashing it around. Being subtle is often much more effective. And when someone does notice, the effect is much stronger.

Words:
"A moment of calm in your time of anger may save you years of mourning."
-Confucius